Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Poetry as Meditation

 


Hydrangeas in winter
stalk and stem in hibernation
rooted
rested
blanketed beneath the snow

Quiet, still, a meditation
restless
rootless
sweeping wind gusts blow
the cold, sharp air turns bitter


Reading or writing poetry is much like meditation. It is a practice of centering on a few words or a group of thoughts. Poems, essays and stories have the great capacity of slowing down time, finding pause within a moment. Poetry brings reflection and an opportunity to look at oneself from the inside out. Anything in life can inspire poetry, but it is choosing to be present with an idea, an image, a place, a sound, or a sensation, and sitting with it for a while that is the act of meditation. Reading a poem or writing one allows you to express what it means to be alive, fully aware and in the moment. If we define meditation as an experience where you practice presence with the thoughts, feelings and sensations that occur in your mind and in your environment, then it isn't a practice of thinking, but one of being.

I have attended classes in movement and meditation where the facilitator begins and ends with a quote, a story, or a poem. This sets a tone for the experience, and allows the receiver to relax and enjoy the benefits of a practice with a focused mind rather than a distracted one. Some meditation practices are built around a one or two word mantra that helps to guide awareness and concentration. Words have the power to soften an angry, grieving heart, to change people's minds, and create large scale movements toward a common goal. 

Words have the ability to heal.

Since I was young, I have turned to writing during difficult times of my life. It is a way to work out my feelings and unravel confusing ideas that hold me hostage causing anxiousness and fear. For me, writing has been a form of therapy. For many, watching stories through movies or shows can help shift perspectives and open new ways of thinking. From the beginning of time, humans have been sharing, drawing, and communicating stories to find connection and ease the feeling of loneliness and sadness that life can bring. Writing also brings joy. My kids love comedy, joke writing, and making people laugh. It's all words put together in specific ways from minds that choose to stay open and creative, to find inspiration in the ordinary and the extraordinary. 

My free verse poem, 'Hydrangea in Winter' was inspired by the blue lace hydrangea at the foot of our back door. Yesterday, I paused to stand within the quiet before our snowstorm. I felt the hope and peace of the firmly rooted plant that will rebloom in spring and summer, but was quickly snapped out of that thought when the bitter wind hit my face and watered my eyes. A momentary meditation in my garden contrasted by the heaviness of winter and our current world events. 


Writing poetry takes courage. It is an act of facing vulnerability, to invstigate one's existence, to stay awake and aware. Just like meditation, it is sitting with discomfort, fear or sadness, and choosing to observe and acknowledge it. It is a practice of training the mind and body to be, start with just a few minutes a day. Sit or lie down quietly, settle your physical body and center your mind by reading or writing a poem at the beginning or end of your meditation.

How does it makes you feel before, during and after?
See where the journey takes you. 

This February I will be sharing weekly classes that inspire moving, breathing and meditating.

Some weeks I may read a poem or two...

For those that like to plan ahead, there will be *no class on 2/17.

Virtual Slow Flow Yoga 

Wednesday 

730p-845p

This is a pay-as-you-can class ($5-15)

Click here to sign up for class via Paypal.

If you are having issues with the link, or don't have a Paypal account, pleae email me. 


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